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Hilton Honors Diamond elite status is one of the easiest top-tier elite statuses to come by, given that is can be earned by simply having the Amex Hilton Aspire credit card (or with $40k spend on the Hilton Surpass and Business cards).
If you don’t have any of those cards though, or are planning on cancelling them and thus afraid of losing your Diamond status, Hilton is again running a status extension offer which will let you keep your existing status through the end of March 2025…but there are some significant strings attached.
The Deal
- Maintain Hilton Diamond status through March 31, 2025 after applying online for a one year extension.
- In order to be eligible for an extension you must:
- Have held Diamond status for at least 3 years (status from credit cards doesn’t count)
- Have at least 250 lifetime nights or 500,000 lifetime base points earned.
- Have status that expires on 3/31/24
- You can only use this extension once per lifetime
In order to check your lifetime nights and base points, you must reach out to the Hilton via phone or you can e-mail the Diamond Desk directly at diamond@hilton.com.
Key Terms
- A Diamond Status Extension will be awarded to select Hilton Honors members, who are:
- current Diamond members and have earned Diamond Status for at least 3 years (consecutive or non-consecutive)
- and who have completed stays totaling at least 250 paid and reward nights OR who are current Diamond members and have earned Diamond Status for at least 3 years (consecutive or non-consecutive) and who have earned at least 500,000 Base Points over life of membership,
- To be eligible, a Hilton Honors member must meet the stated criteria and currently be a Diamond Member.
- Points earned via bonuses, promotions and/or co-branded credit cards do not count towards meeting the Diamond Status Extension criteria.
- Qualifying Hilton Honors Members may enact this benefit once throughout the lifetime of their membership.
- The year during which a Hilton Honors member used a status match to achieve Diamond Status will not count as one of the three years of Diamond status required to meet the criteria.
- If a Member elects to use this offer, their Diamond status will extend for an additional year beyond when it would have otherwise expired.
- Once a Member elects to use this one-time offer and the extension is applied to their account, this action is considered final and is not reversible.
- At the end of the extension time period, Hilton Honors members will need to complete the requirements to maintain Diamond status
Quick Thoughts
Hilton has run this promo every January for the last several years. If your status is expiring, by the far the easiest way to keep it to simply get the Amex Hilton Aspire card. Not only does it give you Hilton Diamond, but also a yearly free night certificate and $600 in annual Hilton and flight credits.
That said, there’s some folks out there that can’t get American Express cards or wouldn’t be able to imagine spending $550 per year on a credit card annual fee, regardless of how much Hilton credit you get. This extension could be useful for them…with the caveats that you need to have had Diamond for three years organically (not from credit cards) AND have at least 250 lifetime nights or 500,000 base points.
That’s going to exclude most of us points and miles folks, but there may be some grizzled, cardless road warriors out there who are staring at a status downgrade. If that’s you, and you can’t or won’t get an Aspire card, this could be your escape from Gold Status purgatory.
(h/t: Award Wallet)
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Now that you can no longer accrue points towards status from their co-branded cards it will be interesting to see if Diamond membership will actually mean something again in the US.
I got extended as a Diamond but I’m really not thrilled about it. I only stayed a few times at Hilton properties last year so it seems crazy I got extended. I’ve switched my loyalty to Hyatt where the perks are better. It seems a joke how many Diamond members there are. They rarely acknowledge me, or give me more than a one hour late check out because the hotel is full of diamond members. Hyatt seems to have far less top tier members and way better benefits because of that.
Do you really need to be acknowleged for opening up a credit card?
I am embaressed when they acknowlege my status because i almost never pay for a room. Even on the PBA bowling tour i use points.
PS I was recently Plat. upgraded to the John and Yoko Bed In room (google it kids) at the Amsterdam Hilton.
I don’t have a Hilton branded credit card and I usually pay for my rooms. We obviously live in different worlds. Don’t assume someone is the same as you.
You sound very sensitive Karl and a bit fiesty, I like that in a man. I owe you a beer next time we bump into each other at the Hilton Club Room
That made me smile. Honestly! I wouldn’t say I’m sensitive but I’m definitely feisty. And I’ll take you up on that beer! 🙂
Last year they offered a simple stay 3 times by the end of March and it is extended. Doubt I’ll see that again but it doesn’t matter much to me.
As a practical matter, what benefits does a Diamond *actually* experience? Other than points multiplier.
I just spent 17 days in Brisbane, Cairns, and Queenstown with suite upgrades, free breakfasts, and club access with evening food and cocktails in the executive lounges in the Australia properties. Most of my nights were free on points with fifth night free and the resort credit for $200 as well as one FNC.
The benefits for overseas travelers (upgrades, actual free breakfasts) are very substantial.
The benefits for US travellers are not.
Since I rarely prefer to stay at North American Hiltons nowadays, being Hilton Gold is just fine by me. Hilton Diamond wasn’t doing a whole lot more for me than Gold at North American Hiltons; and elsewhere the difference was pretty marginal. So back to Gold for all the good it does and does not do.
IHG just sent out emails to some recently expired US IHG Diamonds that they could get a bounce back to Diamond for applying for and getting approved for the IHG Premier credit card from Chase. IHG Diamond is something far more useful to me in the US than Hilton Diamond status is.
Data point: I’ve only ever had Diamond Status via CC, for 10 years. 650k base points, mostly through Covid Era spending. They offered the extension to me 10 days ago, and I gladly accepted.
Did they offer it to you bc you didn’t meet the qualifications for diamond status renewal?
I’ve had diamond since 2020 from aspire but, ended up canceling the card a year later. However, I was able to prequalify for Diamond based upon the lower threshold requirements during Covid.
My diamond is set to expire at the end of March and I won’t qualify. I haven’t heard anything from Hilton but maybe I’ll see if they’ll extend it for me so I don’t have to upgrade one of my no fee, Hilton cards to retain my Diamond status
Any suggestions on when I should contact them to request an extension?
Yes, I was set to lose Diamond Status this year. I met all the extension qualifications, other than the Credit Card method of my Diamond track record. That said, it couldn’t hurt to try- maybe call the Diamond Desk or email Hilton inquiring about it.
Bummer, just tried and the system auto-denied, me:
“We’ve reviewed your request.
Thanks for inquiring about Diamond status extension.
We’re unable to grant you an extension at this time but that doesn’t mean you won’t be eligible for one in the future.”
That’s too bad, but at least you know.